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The Key Marco cat is a pre-Columbian figurine usually attributed to the Calusa, an indigenous people of the Gulf coast of the modern-day state of Florida, United States. The anthropomorphic feline statuette was carved from native Florida hardwood using shark tooth tools sometime between 500 and 1,500 CE. Discovered on Marco Island in 1896, the cat is noted for its excellent preservation, and has been described as “one of the finest pieces of Pre-Columbian Native American art ever discovered in North America”. The Key Marco cat is on display at the Marco Island Historical Museum, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History until 2026.

Description
They Key Marco cat is a small wooden figurine with both human and feline features. It measures 6 in tall by 2.75 in deep by 1.75 in wide, and weighs 0.5 lb. While the material is likely to be native Florida hardwood, the type of wood is unknown. The figure is resting on human-like knees, while its feline-like forelimbs and paws are resting on its lap, slightly medial to the upper thighs. The upper part of the forelimbs are abstract but symmetrical, depicted as spirals. The cat has a long tail rising up its back, and strongly feline facial features such as pointed ears, a muzzle, nose, and a catlike mouth whose curvature Bell describes as “almost mischievous”. Three lines around the eyes may represent stylized eyelashes. The cat has three toes on each paw, in comparison to a real panther’s five toes. The feet and paws were left unfinished; Bell speculates that the unfinished features indicate that the cat was meant to rest on a surface.

Austin Bell, the foremost expert on the cat, describes its appearance:

Marion Spjut Gilliland remarked that the overall appearance of the cat “resembles more closely ancient Egyptian or Babylonian art than any other specimen so far found in America.”

Significance
The Key Marco cat is popular in part due to its mysterious nature. While the object is commonly regarded as an anthropomorphic figurine, Bell notes that “it might also or instead be zoomorphized, meaning it was made to “conceive of or symbolize or represent (a deity or supernatural being) as an animal” in “stylized” form.” Cushing believed that the feet and paws were intentionally unfinished, which may have served a spiritual purpose. Bell comments that the “seated posture evokes patience and reverence.”